beat the heat week10

summer goals:

1. drink six glasses of water per day
2. workout at least three times per week
3. leave for work by 830
4. stop dicking around with staying on budget
5. write in my journal weekly

results:
(1) i've done pretty well with this goal. i only faltered one week out of the whole challenge. two years ago, i barely drank any water at all. it still surprises me how much that's changed :)

(2) ha! this was, by far, my absolute worst goal. i didn't realize how bad until i was looking back over the whole challenge. i only accomplished this twice the entire time. twice. ugh! i'm still trying to build it into my schedule cause i need to move my ass as much as possible

(3) another happy surprise :) not only did i successfully change my morning routine, but i found extra time in my day for whatever i need. i'm going to try to take a small chunk of that extra time to do quick workouts (seriously, goal #2 is still a must!). joyce and reuters tell me i only need 15 minutes a day so that's my goal

(4) i only slipped up a little on the budget. i counted one week as a half win because i went over one piece without balance among the others. last week, i totally screwed the budget because of groceries. this week's groceries will be very light. good thing i have extras of stuff :p

(5) bu bu bust! just like the workouts *double sigh* not that i really needed journaling, but it can be helpful at times. i'm definitely not as disappointed about this goal as i am with my fitness failings though. maybe one day i'll start journaling regularly. maybe one day i'll also be a more consistent blogger ;) *shrug*

via we heart it

via we heart it

via we heart it

i couldn't pick just one so enjoy some adorable, carefree lovey feelings. isn't that pup just too precious?! i needed a wee bit of cheering in recovery from week one of grad school exhaustion. so. much. reading. i'm already behind ugh. but i'm hoping to catch up this week. until then, i'll be dreaming of floating away in a sea of balloons

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beat the heat week9

this week's questions:

1. What have you achieved towards your goals this week?
2. What have you done to make yourself feel fabulous?
3. This is week 9 and the final week of the challenge! Is there anything you want to really push to achieve now?
4. How have you felt through the challenge? Has anything been more difficult than you thought? Anything easier?
5. Fun Question of the Week: Where do you fit in your family? Are you a middle child for example? How does that affect your “place” in the family?

question 1: (1) shaky at best. i count it as a win, but i only drank my daily allotment four of seven days. must stay on top of this better cause i'm starting to slip (2) jack shit. didn't get up and workout. didn't workout after work. didn't even pretend like i was going to. what a bust (3 & 4) these two i was actually on top of. i'm still doing pretty well with my new schedule, and i was right on target with weekly expenses. i'm on my fall schedule as of this morning since class starts tomorrow. no more working from home, but late wednesdays have returned :) (5) another bust, but i'm less concerned with this one. i'll be doing plenty of writing in the coming weeks for class purposes (eek)

question 2: nothing to feel fabulous, but i can tell you what i did to feel completely unfabulous. i drank a shit ton at a "survive the hurricane" party. well, the hurricane that wasn't. irene was down to tropical storm levels by the time she reached us *shrug* i paid for my over indulgence yesterday, spending most of the day in my jammies on the couch. though, leslie and i had a most delicious hangover breakfast once the power returned. cheese scrambled eggs, toast, homemade home fries and beer brats :)

question 3: no one thing over the others; they're all still equally important. i need to work harder on the fitness and water goals though

question 4: that's a tough one to answer. each goal has had it's hard and easy moments over the last couple months. various things have gotten in the way, including myself, but i knew there would be struggling. that's why i chose these goals in the first place. i know these are my problem areas, and i just have to keep working on them

question 5: i'm the oldest of three. not sure how much that really affects me. i got to do things first, but my parents had the same standards and expectations of all of us. we're all spoiled, even though my sister takes the most advantage of it. i consider myself the most responsible and reliable, but we each have our moments *shrug*

this is the text for my child & adolescent psych course. i am so fucking excited about classes this semester. child psychology is my ultimate focus so this class means more than anything else. i'm not a huge fan of group therapy, but i'm interested to learn proper technique and such. it's going to be an insanely intense semester, but i'm looking forward to the challenge :)

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beat the heat week8

this week's questions:

1. What did you do this week to work towards your goals?
2. What did you do this week to make yourself feel fabulous?
3. What has been your biggest challenge this week?
4. Do you need neatness and order to feel good or does a bit of untidiness not bother you?
5. Fun Question of the Week: Would you rather be attacked by 20 duck sized horses or 20 horse sized ducks?

question 1: (1) water water everywhere, and all of it got drank. i was away for a couple days, but still managed to get in my six glasses. it's easier when you purposely limit your options ;) (2) one workout at home and one mini hike got me through this week. i still need consistency, which i'm hoping to tackle this week (3) no problems here, even with my week away. i'm feeling increasingly confident in my new routine as each day passes. it's not always perfect, but it's WAY better than last year's "schedule" (4) trips out of town are crushing my gas budget while saving my groceries budget. i'm so glad this month is almost over so i can start fresh at getting back on top of things (5) nothing written since atlanta. i just don't feel like writing

question 2: not feeling fabulous, but not feeling crappy either. i got home yesterday and almost immediately got in the tub. it was perfect temp, too. i read for over an hour and never got chilly. i was going to take a nap afterwards, but got distracted. it was still a nice lazy afternoon

question 3: staying energized and focused. my period is around the corner so i was constantly exhausted/hungry all week. i wasn't working out because i chose to sleep later. no post work workouts either because i had plans almost every night. and i haven't been eating the best. excessive snacking and cookouts have been my undoing. i'm up another four pounds today :( i was trying to stay in check, but only partly succeeded. this week should be better since i'll be less tired and not constantly famished. ironically, i need another snack each day this week or i'll be way (unhealthily) under my targets. might pick up some granola bars on the way home

question 4: i can handle a small amount of untidiness, but i get overwhelmed by too much clutter. i start to feel claustrophobic when there are piles of stuff everywhere. i can focus on nothing else until they're cleaned up. it's the worst when class is in session. i'm most likely to let things go because of too much stuff to do, but i need everything to be clean before i can get anything else done. it's so frustrating

question 5: i think i'd opt for the horses. a tiny stampede seems less life threatening than being pecked by gigantic ducks :)

via things organized neatly

i love this tumblr! organizing/organized things make/s me happy. i would put everything in a nice labeled box if i could :) i'm planning to pick up a new bookcase and bins so i can reorganize my bedroom

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beat the heat week7

this week's questions:

1. What have you done to help you achieve your goals?
2. What have you done to make you feel fabulous?
3. If your house was on fire, and you could grab ONE thing (outside of people and your computer/laptop, they are all out) what would it be?
4. Tell us about your blog. Treat it like a book, what’s happened so far?
5. Fun Question of the Week: Tell an embarrassing story about yourself. No dodging.

question 1: (1) bust (2) bust (3) off work (4) half counts (5) bust. being away for a week really threw me off

question 2: finally took a shower yesterday. i was feeling mega lazy so i didn't bother unstinkifying for two days. of course, then i felt mega gross. i didn't just shower though. i exfoliated, shaved and washed/styled my hair. kinda made me feel like a brand new person, and i decided to do my nails

question 3: if it happened today, i have no clue. my cell i guess. if i were better prepared, my "in case of fire/zombies" kit. it would include a flashlight, cell, emergency credit card, change of clothes, book, running shoes, snacks and weaponry

question 4: i started this blog because i wanted a place to talk about non-weight stuff. i've ranted, laughed and schmooped all over it. i fell in love with my boy, fought my way through my grad program and decided to stick with my current employer. i raised money for the komen foundation and lost almost 70 pounds. i said goodbye to my last grandparent. my blog is more a collection of short stories with the same protagonist

question 5: this is one of my favorite stories to tell because it involves my ridiculous mom. i went to catholic school from kindergarten (st. john's) through high school (spalding). st. john's didn't have a cafeteria so lunch was in our homerooms, and parents volunteered to watch us during lunch and recess. i convinced my mom to do it one time when i was in 8th grade. i was walking from the back of the room to my desk at the front. my foot got caught in someone's backpack strap, and i tripped. i fell right onto the floor, in the middle of the room so everyone saw. my mom, being the wonderful, caring person she is, burst out laughing. she asked, from the front of the room, if i was ok. i was more embarrassed that she'd laughed than i was by the fall. what a jerk :p

via

my nails aren't that intricate, but manicures are fun. we got manis and pedis before the funeral. i just went with a clear coat then. now they're blue with white tips

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beat the heat week5

this week's questions:

1. What have you done this week to work towards your goals?
2. What have you done to make yourself feel fabulous?
3. How are you finding your goals this challenge? Do you still think you can achieve them?
4. Freebie! If you want to change one goal change it. Explain your decision even if you don’t change any.
5. Fun Question of the Week: If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? Your funds are unlimited!

question 1: (1) missed a couple days, but had more good than bad (2) skip it (3) i am kicking this goals ass... except that one day i way overslept ;) (4) came in over budget on groceries, but way under budget on gas. too bad my miscellaneous spending is still out of control. i've been tweaking the budget, which should help in the next couple months (5) i never write when things are really good. i had intended to on friday. i was having a really good day, and i wanted to have the reminder that those days exist. didn't get to it. then i got some bad news yesterday, which i did end up journaling about. i don't want to go into detail, but my family could use some extra positive energy

question 2: i registered for classes. if you've been following the snippets of info here and on twitter, you know this is a big freaking deal. i need to take care of some paperwork next week to finalize everything. i have a post coming with a bit more detail :)

question 3: sometimes awesome, sometimes aggravating. more annoyed with myself than my goals. this whole workout thing is just not going well. i have a plan that goes into effect next week. fingers crossed i can get my ass in gear. all my goals are attainable as long as i stick with them

question 4: i've done this in previous challenges, but i don't want to change any of my current ones. even with the frustration, these are things i really want to do consistently. forming new habits is a necessary pain in the ass; this challenge is a step towards changing my habits for good

question 5: i would stay in maryland, but i would buy a vacation home in the mountains. maybe in pennsylvania, maybe in arizona. somewhere semi-secluded where we could hideout for a couple weeks. or i might take my mom around the world and "live" everywhere. mom is the biggest reason i'd stay in maryland. if she wanted to move out of state, i'd move. if she wanted to travel on a boat, i'd order a monogrammed lifevest (i'm still a fancy bitch, even at sea ;)). i couldn't imagine being anywhere permanently without her nearby

via better moments

happiness isn't at the bottom of a shot glass, but there was a whole lot of delicious on the way there. i have awesome friends who know when i need a hug, a laugh and a drink <3

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beat the heat week4

this week's questions:

1. What have you done this week towards your goals?
2. What did you do to make yourself feel fabulous?
3. Do you exercise? What is your favourite kind and why?
4. There are loads of fantastic bloggers here in the Beat the Heat competition, which blog or blogs have you discovered through the challenge that you particularly enjoy? Show that person some love!
5. Fun Question of the Week: What song makes you want to dance at the moment?

question 1: (1 - water) (3 - schedule) (5 - journaling) easy peasy :) (2 - workouts) (4 - budget) crossed off, but just barely. i cleaned and cooked friday; spent a good amount of time at jesse's horizontal. i counted those as my short and fun workouts. might change my approach next week as my morning routine adjusts... budget is ok, but i'm getting into dangerous territory. changing my accounts keeps throwing me off

question 2: other than cleaning out the DVR and netflix queue? nada. oh, i did also cross off another item on my mega to do list. i finally got all my photos into albums :) now i can show off post college shenanigans to company

question 3: heh i loosely define exercise most days. i honestly don't hate working out; i just have a really hard time motivating myself to do it. favorite exercise that i'd never want to miss? sex. i think that's pretty self explanatory ;)

question 4: ok, i feel super horrible about this one... i haven't read any new blogs from this challenge. i'm sooo behind in my reader :( there are a bunch of blogs i picked up from amy's previous challenges though: a small loss, breathing through chaos, kissed a frog, shannon under construction... i know i'm missing a bunch; the organization of my reader is a bit behind, too

question 5: that could be just about anything if i'm in the right mood :) i grab my ipod for every trip up to jesse's (or anywhere outside my regular station's reach), and it is almost guaranteed that jesse mccartney will come on at least once in the 900+ song shuffle. he requires a car dance party of one, especially when it's makeup

for all my lazing about these last few months, i've managed to stay within my weight range. this was my weight at the end of yesterday, after a fantastic lunch at appalachian brewing co with jesse. there were no leftovers, and we were still full eight hours later. considering i typically gain a pound and a half over the course of a day, i'm probably in better shape (numberswise) than indicated here :)

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beat the heat week3

this week's questions:

1. What have you done this week to work towards your goals?
2. What have you done this week to make you feel fabulous?
3. Do you have any gadgets that help you to your goals or are you a low tech kinda person?
4. We are half way through the year, what have you achieved so far (in all aspects of life)?
5. Fun Question of the Week: Tell me one of your secrets to achieving goals and living a happy life?

question 1: this week was SO much better than last week. (1) it's been beyond ridiculously hot so drinking plenty of water isn't as much of an issue. i'm still having issues pacing myself though. even though i'm thirsty at work, i don't start drinking my water until nearly noon. my water bottle is full and sitting next to my computer; i just don't reach for it (2) why is three times a week so hard? i get about one and a half if i'm really trying. i don't hate working out, but i have zero desire to do it. juli and i are thinking about walking the trail after she moves. and i hope having a buddy is the kick in the ass i need (3) success! i think i finally found the key: showering first. i'm out of bed by 720, hop in the shower and have breakfast while getting dressed. i even have time to watch an episode of the talk while i'm getting ready. it's glorious :) (4) not superb, but not horrible either. i bought half my ornaments this weekend, which i forgot to factor in this month. next round in oct so i'll be ready. groceries will be the hard area for the next two weeks. why you gotta be so expensive, produce? *sigh* (5) i almost missed this week again. i had the time, but, like everything else, i forgot about it until yesterday. so instead of skipping it, i actually wrote. i love writing in my journal when i do it so i can't really understand why i make it so hard to do. scheduling time to write is definitely a hindrance; i should know better. i've dropped the blocked out time to put less pressure on it, but i still want to write at least once a week. maybe i'll even relocate my blogging voice...

question 2: journaling :) i love a good brain dump, and i've been bottling too much these days. i don't like sharing publicly until i've sorted through all the details, thoughts and emotions. problem is, i haven't been sorting at all. i've been letting things build up instead of addressing them. i know i shouldn't, and i'm not a fan of it. however, i'm constantly going in a thousand directions so sometimes it feels like i have to. i simply don't have the time and mental capacity to devote to every single thing... also? i bought hot new shoes. i luffs them :)

question 3: for this set of goals, low tech. i have my budget on a flashdrive and specific categories written in my planner. i update both on a daily basis. i have pageonce on my phone, but don't use it quite as often. it's great for checking balances and travel on the go. though it's not as helpful for my daily tracking because of how data is sent by my providers

question 4: i hit my goal weight and helped start a business. i'm proud of both feats. the next thing i want to do is buy a new car. i know exactly what i want, and i've picked a new dealer. i'm just crossing my fingers it's in the 2012 production lineup. it wasn't in the 2011 lineup with no explanation. i'm gonna be devastated if they canceled the model; there is literally no other vehicle with the features i want that i have any interest in

question 5: don't let anyone or anything get in the way of what you truly want. if you have emotional saboteurs, cut them out of your life. recognize the difference between people who may be confused about how to support you and those who truly want you to remain as you are at whatever cost. blood relative, best friend or random jerk on the street, doesn't matter. if that person is not being supportive in words and actions, they aren't a good person to keep around. change is difficult for everyone, but the people who matter most will be there to help you grow

via we heart it

because sometimes you need to write it out offline...

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beat the heat week2

this week's questions:

1. What have you done this past week to help achieve your goals?
2. What did you do this past week to make you feel good about yourself?
3. Did you have a moment in your life where everything changed for you, an epiphany moment, or has it happened gradually?
4. What made you get involved with the Beat The Heat challenge?
5. Fun Question of the Week: What is your favourite TV Show at the moment?

question 1: i'm off to a great start; i completely botched three of my five goals. only worked out once, was late getting out of the house every day and didn't write in my journal. i did get all my water in, with a few extra glasses over the weekend. and i managed to stay on target with my budget

question 2: i spent the weekend with my best friends from college; seeing the girls was way overdue. i missed them so effing much. it's funny how much things can change but also remain the same. also hilarious that our boys are so goddamn the same, which is good cause we're four peas in a pod ;) and we finally got to meet zoe, who is the sweetest little thing :) she's so precious! there were a couple fussy moments because she's working on some new teeth, but none of us wanted to put her down ever. my favorite thing was seeing sean with her; he's such a good daddy. seeing her face light up every time he entered the room melted my cold bitchy heart

question 3: i kinda did in regards to my career. i'd become interested in english in my junior year of college. more in the evolution of speech and language than literature. unfortunately, i was thinking about how children learn speech and decided to enroll in a speech pathology grad program. my goal was dual masters and working with autistic kids. one bored semester later, i left the speech program. i felt a bit lost because i'd wasted a semester on a dream i no longer wanted. that following new year's eve was spent with my girls. there was an incident, and i tried to talk erin through the whole thing. it was in that moment that i realized psychology, my first love, was 100% where i needed to be. it's that memory that keeps me pushing forward for my master's and license

question 4: habit? lol. i've done both of the previous challenges, and i'm so glad amy started this. i've had better success sticking with my goals and changing my habits with her challenges. even though this past week was terrible, i've exceeded my own expectations in the last six months :)

question 5: that's kind of hard to decide. current shows? the talk, so you think you can dance, extreme makeover: weightloss edition. ended shows? buffy, sex and the city, foster's home for imaginary friends. older shows? the odd couple, the dick van dyke show, the golden girls... i like a lot of tv :)

via the magical world of harry potter

seeing harry potter is the highlight of my week. neal and i are doing the double feature on thursday :D how adorable are these little kidlets? correct answer: super

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beat the heat week1

yes we're doing this all over again :) this time rebecca is hosting on amy's behalf. who's ready to unlazify this summer?!

this week's questions:

1. What are your goals for the 10 week challenge?
2. Why did you pick those goals? What makes them important right now?
3. What’s your biggest excuse reason for not doing something and how are you going to stop it getting in the way?
4. Are you a planner or do you go with the flow?
5. Fun Question of the Week: Tell us something that will help us get to know you. Like things you like or a silly story or about your family.

questions 1-2:
1. drink at least six glasses of water per day. i'm still working increase my daily water intake. i'm finally getting consistent with five per day, and i'm hoping this will hammer in the new habit for good

2. workout at least three times per week. a returning goal from the winter challenge since i've gotten so lazy. i need to start getting specific about what and when; i think that might be my biggest obstacle

3. get up and out of the house by 830 for work. must stop sacrificing shower time instead of twitter time. must. stop. i've gotten better about the time i spend on my phone before getting out of bed. however, i'm still wasting time, which means rushing around to make/eat breakfast, make lunch and get in the shower

4. stick as closely to the budget as possible. the last few months have been... questionable. i need to lock it down cause i'm juggling money between accounts again. not good, especially when i'm trying to close another one of my credit cards by the end of the year

5. write in my journal at least once a week. one of the things i loved about my basic counseling course were the weekly journals. we had to reflect on the readings, discussion and lab from that week. interesting topics, application to our professional goals, confusing points, etc. it was a great way to organize and reflect each week, and i could review throughout the semester for themes and changes. *sigh* i miss that

question 3: "i have too many things to do" i'm always going in a thousand directions at once. i can't let myself focus long enough to finish any one thing so nothing gets done. sooo i schedule everything. i have my general, weekly and daily to dos all written down. depending on what's on the list, i organize it based on how long each will take, overlapping tasks as i can. this is especially handy over weekends when i'm cooking and cleaning... which reminds me, i need to update my planner

question 4: i may have just given myself away ;) total planner. i even have to plan ahead when i'm going to "go with the flow" lol. gotta compensate for all the stuff i was originally going to do in that carefree time

question 5: i am 100% a dog person. i don't quite understand or trust cats. they're deceptive creatures, cute ninja assassins. i would never date someone whose only pet is a cat. or a bird. i don't like birds either. i'm sure your little ball of fur is the sweetest and cutest, but no. i'm not rushing out to adopt one. also neal is deathly allergic to cats so no keeping the little overlords at our place. here are some other little things about me in case you wondered :)

via we heart it

today, we celebrate our independence day. yay america! thanks, britain for stealing/buying the land. thanks, founding fathers for telling the monarchy to shove it. thanks, lincoln for emancipating my peeps so i can join in the fun as an "equal" citizen. i plan to be full of grilled meats, pasta and beer today. maybe we'll pop downtown to watch some pretty explosions, too :) hope y'all are having a great monday (working or not)

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